[SHaEFU0i]

For those of you who have attended university in the past or are currently still at university/college- what are the difficulties you have enountered in practising Islam during university life and how have you overcome them? Any hints, tips, experiences to share, observations, etc are most welcome. From an Islamic perspective, what worked for you and what do you wish you had done differently with the benefit of hindsight.

This is not a debate about the permissibility/prohibition of attending university - its an attempt to learn about more about the difficulties and obstacles faced by the younger generation and to collect some feedback on what works and does not work.

Secondly, in your university, what role does the ISoc play in this?

[ClorrerVeks]

The biggest fitna is women and drugs. Many students would socialize in the bar or the canteen. These were usually places full of fitna. The best thing is to just attend lectures and seminars and spend time alone or with some nice friends studying in the library. Hanging outside where people walk around or socialize is not a good thing. The isoc was very active in our university and Mashallah they arranged various classes like I remember various courses like mukhtasar minhaj ul qasideen, some tajwid, aqeedah tahawiya etc. The isoc regularly invited speakers from outside to come give talks on Fridays or on other occasions. In ramadan food would be arranged by collecting money each Friday and using these funds to feed muslim brothers and sisters throughout ramadan. Occasionally whilst people were eating food a short speech would be given or some ahadeeth read. The biggest thing was the annual dinner where we would invite some guest speakers and arrange food and invite non-muslims too. All the different campuses would come together and choose a campus to hold the event (usually would alternate each year). It would be a big event with tickets sold and many hundreds of people attending from both inside and outside of university. We also had an islamic awareness week which consisted of lectures and dawah stalls to attract non-muslims and also arranging trips for non-muslims to see the local masjid. There was also a charity week where all the universites would compete with each other to see who could raise the most money. The prayer room was like a sanctuary where you would meet people and you could just come and pray quraan, salah etc.

Some things to avoid;

Try to avoid any group work with ladies, Try to not be fooled by falling for the 'pious' sister or 'pious' brother. I noticed that many of the more practicing people would find fitna more in the practicing people than non practicing so beware of this plot of shaytaan. T

[Storwaytozy]

The best way i protect myself is by protecting my gaze as there are lots of ghair muhram around n they really are a serious danger to my iman.So observing purdah of my eyes is the best thing i can do.I pray my zuhr salah after my college but when i fear missing the salah due to getting late, i go to the mosque in the break time n ask my teacher to allow me a lil late into class.On my way back from mosque, i grab some food which i finish till i reach the college.Also after regular intervals i read the saying n naseehats of our elders like shaykh saleem dorat,abu yusuf riyadhulhaq etc from my phone,this helps me to stay away from the filth which may be dangerous for me.Though evryday i come home with a differnt heart but i make taubah n as i said participate in the work of tabligh to come back on track..i also try to guard my tongue but this is somewhat difficult n m working on it..

[Storwaytozy]

what role does the ISoc play in this?

What is Isoc?

[domeffire]

Many times this words comes to my mind "Whenever a time comes in life when you have the opportunity to sin and you refrain, due to the fear of Allah, at that very second, make a du'a to Allah. Allah will accept your du'a at that very moment Inshallah" What should I say about the atmosphere of colleges. Allahu akbar! We can't able to control the glances in muslims colleges so what to say about non muslims one. Ya Allah!
Once in a semester we have to visit non muslims college for writing our semester exams, when we used to revise in early morning, we can't raise our heads from books/materials, If bymistakenly our head raised then .......(that pains alot) May allah(swt) save us from this fitnahs.
Some days back I was reading Fazail-e-haj, I read somewhere that one buzurg said if Any women passes by and you refrain from seeing her, then Allah Rabbul izzat will you joy(lazzat) in his ibadah. I don't have any riya in saying but alhumdulillah I have felt that lazzat in myself manytimes.

What is Isoc?

Yes what is Isoc?

[Qxsumehj]

ISOC is the British version of the MSA

[Storwaytozy]

alhumdulillah I have felt that lazzat in myself manytimes.

The feeling is mutual..

[domeffire]

ISOC is the British version of the MSA

What is MSA?

[Qxsumehj]

What is MSA?

ermm its like a society of muslim students, they usually get together and organise islamic events within the university for students and take care of prayer facilities etc

[SHaEFU0i]

For the repsonses.

A few questions:

How would you handle issues where during a lecture, a teacher was quite openly islamophobic, or would mention issues that contradict the beleifs of a Muslim? How easy/ difficult was it to speak up at these times?

Do you feel the university environment, with all its flaws, actually prepared you for living in the real world where a person would be employed in a mixed environment anyway? Did university help you prepare for that, or do you feel it made intermingling acceptable to you to some degree?

Did any of you keep up regular zikr / tilawat during university, or did your studies overwhelm your time?

If you could chnage one thing about the way you conducted yourself in uni, what would it be?

For those who mentioned they kept in contact with shuyookh etc to keep their feet on the gorund, what was the best piece of advice you were ever given regarding uni life?

for the answers. Please keep them coming. I am working with the local ISoc and going in weekly with a few of our mature students to give weekly talks, advice etc. Some of the issues that you faced and talk about will help me to better understand the challenges they face.

[uncoodync]

I don't want to get drawn into the whole isoc thing but I think its important to note that you have two groups of people. those who have left their home town to come to uni and others who live in the same town or do a daily commute.

what kind of advice are you looking for? can you be more specific please. do you mean how you can overcome the vices in uni,or how best to equip the students to tackle and handle uni life in the islamic sense.

One advice I have seen given many times is for the males that attach themselves to a local masjid where jamaat work is taking place and try to enagage yourself of the daily amals which take place there. It will give you good local contacts and inshallah ones time will be used more productively instead of having spare time. Its difficult when left to ones own devices,but through local jamaat effort,inshallah one will get himah through the collective gathering,making effort etc.

[SHaEFU0i]

what kind of advice are you looking for? can you be more specific please. do you mean how you can overcome the vices in uni,or how best to equip the students to tackle and handle uni life in the islamic sense.

Both of the above. I will obviously advise in my own capacity so I'm not looking for general Islamic advice, but sometimes those who with personal experiences will have somthing to share about their own experiences that resonates well with other students.

[uncoodync]

For the repsonses.



Do you feel the university environment, with all its flaws, actually prepared you for living in the real world where a person would be employed in a mixed environment anyway? Did university help you prepare for that, or do you feel it made intermingling acceptable to you to some degree?

I think although people still accept its wrong to intermingle, the nature of uni makes one de-sanitized but yeah, naturally,when one goes to work, you're not overwhelmed working with the ooposite gender due to the way one has developed through uni. by intermingling i mean just simple things like group work, and not chilling out with the opposite sex.

I don't think its impossible as I know a few young students who mashallah go to uni but are whole heartedly involved in TJ and they tell me time to time things. You need good company. if you have friends who are religeously minded then through the collective,one does not feel alone. If you have friends circle who are deeni and non deeni, the fear is,and its been seen many times,where hanging out with the non deeni people as close friends will eventually take you away from deen. there are exceptions but ive seen the opposite more.

[Storwaytozy]

For the repsonses.

A few questions:

How would you handle issues where during a lecture, a teacher was quite openly islamophobic, or would mention issues that contradict the beleifs of a Muslim? How easy/ difficult was it to speak up at these times?

Well i never give an attentive ear to the lecturers though when i fell he is saying something contradicting, i easily n ploitely correct his undersatnding.(not a difficult job for me).

Did any of you keep up regular zikr / tilawat during university, or did your studies overwhelm your time?

If studies distract u from Allah, than the best is to abandon them.Alhamudulliah they never overwhelm me.The shaytan just used to scare me about my studies but people waste much of the time which can be used for zikrullah or tilawat.

[uncoodync]

Both of the above. I will obviously advise in my own capacity so I'm not looking for general Islamic advice, but sometimes those who with personal experiences will have somthing to share about their own experiences that resonates well with other students.

The advice will slightly differ depending on wether the students commute daily or wether they have left their home town.

generally you have two options:stay aloof from everyone which is hard and not for everyone. or have a circle of friends which have a similar mindset to oneself,meaning religeous.

we all know the vices which are in the uni environment and no need to keep on bringing them up. its how they are tackled which is the key.

[domeffire]

One advice I have seen given many times is for the males that attach themselves to a local masjid where jamaat work is taking place and try to enagage yourself of the daily amals which take place there. It will give you good local contacts and inshallah ones time will be used more productively instead of having spare time. Its difficult when left to ones own devices,but through local jamaat effort,inshallah one will get himah through the collective gathering,making effort etc.

This is the ever best advice hazrath for both day scholar as well as hostel male students. I don't have advice for females.

@ Umhasan

How would you handle issues where during a lecture, a teacher was quite openly islamophobic, or would mention issues that contradict the beleifs of a Muslim? How easy/ difficult was it to speak up at these times? We don't have this issues(bold one) but very very rare that too in other non muslims schools/colleges.
May I know for which gender teacher you are asking about?

Do you feel the university environment, with all its flaws, actually prepared you for living in the real world where a person would be employed in a mixed environment anyway? Did university help you prepare for that, or do you feel it made intermingling acceptable to you to some degree? Yes, they will however make you employed person, but there is great mashakkat of saving yourself speacially in glances.

Did any of you keep up regular zikr / tilawat during university, or did your studies overwhelm your time? Hmm, I love reciting quran in free time but if I get time na! We have to do this in our own heart otherwise a call will come he is not well.
I should say, it is upon us to save our own deen. If I'm having 10 crore money, I will take responsibility of handling/saving that money , not my neighbours. Atleast I say, being a co-ed college, my college is better than other colleges.

If you could chnage one thing about the way you conducted yourself in uni, what would it be?

• No intermingling of girls and boys.
• Will call different ulemas for lecture(atleast once in a week)
• Will stick Islamic pamphlets on walls.
• WIll make arrangement for ta'leem.(for both)
• Islamic subjects will also be there.
  .....

For those who mentioned they kept in contact with shuyookh etc to keep their feet on the gorund, what was the best piece of advice you were ever given regarding uni life? I have not bay't to anyone, in somedays Im going to bay't. One of the friend asked one famous ulema of hyderabad, india regarding the teaching of female lecture, he adviced him of doing astaghfaaar as much as possible. Once I was in A'teqaaf with one of the famous ulema of my city, so night majlis was going and Q&A was going, one of my other friend asked about the glances ( opposite gender) he said (Kamaney ka best mauqa) Best way to gaining deeds.

[lerobudrse]

If I were to give advice to a guy it would be this

1. Keep eyes glued to the ground. If you have an MP3 player or phone, upload islamic lectures to your device and listen to it on your way to school, walking to classes, and way back. This way, you are learning and in constant reminder of your deen and on top of that you do not over hear conversations of college students of "what they did last night" stories, etc.

2. Do your absolute best not to be personal with sisters if your in any islamic organization. ALHAMDULILLAH I barely know the name of some sisters through group emails (which are necessary for putting together events) but I cannot put a face to them because I never interact with them. Do your absolute best not to give out your cell number because what happens is that the sisters become comfortable texting you for updates and it leaks into other areas of life (I never experienced this, but it is what my brothers tell me). If you keep your guard up and be as business like while polite as possible, they get the message and they are business like with you. If you mellow out and relax, they do the same and it leads to fitna

3. Interact with people who are better than you, and keep them as your friends. Be more distant (distant does not mean cut off, interact as best you can but limit your time with them so THEY do not change YOU) to the brothers who like to intermingle with sisters or are inappropriate around you but always be there as their guide. The more you strive in your deen, naturally the other brothers will be attracted, so you can change a generation of lives by leading the example of the prophet muhmmad

If I think of anything else I will post, please ask for specifics I will get back soon inshaAllah.

[Buyemae]

My $0.02:

1. Purify your intention: make sure your intention being in such an environment is only for the sake of Allah, for the Da'wah. To bring more people into the fold of Islam, and to bring non-practicing Muslims into a consciously practicing state.
2. To gather up some noble, good character da'i Muslim brothers to stay in rental house, instead of dormitories.
3. Turn this house into a nurani ma'bad where you establish: fi buyutin azinallah... http://tanzil.net/#24:36
4. Organize tenants to make sure at least Fajr, Maghrib and Isha are performed in Jamaah.
5. Among the rules of the house there must be a fixed daily reading time. These are the books such as Qur'an, Riyadussalihin, Hayatu's-Sahaba, Ulumu'd-Din, RNur..
6. Appoint an Imam in the house; he leads the prayer, he leads the mashwarah, he is the BOSS.
7. There must be a Mashwarah time with the tenants (jamaah) of the house at least once a week.
8. At times organize scholarly talks & lectures/sohbat in the house..

[Foucceedo]

It is nice to get down to real life problems.
If you have a point to add then please do not hold it back.

Wassalam

[VottCetaVeivE]

The biggest fitna is women and drugs.

One big fitna is the usury based student loan which has become widespread in the Western universities. If a Muslim student starts his university life using usury based loan , he has already committed a very big fitna. More on this student loan is here.

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http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/show...ed-in-the-West

Many Muslim students are lured by the student loans which are really traps. This trap is explained in this article.


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http://www.henrymakow.com/greekfilmmakescase.html

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Andrew said (June 20, 2011):

And let's not forget the vicious trap of student loans and institutions dolling out money to income-less, asset-less kids desperate to get qualified on the on the flimsiest guarantee of 'potential future earnings'. Particularly odious for their serpentine entrapment of the young and naive.

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